Destiny Is Calling
by Eternal Ecstasies
Summary: Taking a chance in a new place could be frightening, but for Jane it is the chance of a lifetime. The South African Jungle is shrouded in mysteries. What lurks in the deepest parts of the jungle? Will Jane find a new dream along the way? Rated M and MA for later chapters (for sexual content) but the first chapter no explicit content. TarzanxJane
1. A New Home

**A/N:** Hello everyone. I want to say this is the first story I have done in a few years and I know I am suppose to update the other ones instead but I just cannot seem to get to them. I will try my hardest to write more for those stories. I think I am in a bit of a slump and cannot figure out what to write for them. Nonetheless I am sorry about that. This is my first shot at a heterosexual relationship so bare with me please. I had to rate this **M**, actually in some of the chapters to come it will be **MA** because of sexual content but for now there is absolutely no touching going on, which I also apologize for. There might be in the next chapter if this chapter goes over well enough.

Please if you have time to spare comment. I love hearing feedback on my stories, good or bad. As long as you are not viscous about it. I take all critiques to heart so please if you have some time I would greatly appreciate that.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tarzan, any of the characters part of the Tarzan world, nor do I profit from any of the stories I post. All the characters and the Tarzan world are owned by Disney and Disney only. I am simply writing for fun, not profit.

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Dishes clanking as the sound of water running filled the kitchen. The room was not particularly big so the noise carried throughout and in to the living room as a girl had her hands hidden in the pill of dishes in the sink. Her coffee colored hair tied in a bun and an apron around her jeans and shirt.

The living room led straight to the entrance door where the lock turned as a couple entered and slowly shut the door behind them. Their faces filled with sorrow as they glanced at one another and took a deep sigh before calling for her.

"Jane dear, would you join us in here?" The woman asked softly as she made her way over to the couch parallel with the entry way to the kitchen. The man followed as they sat down awaiting Jane. Jane entered in to the room wiping her hands dry from the water.

"Aunt Meredith how was the office, any news on that promotion?" Aunt Meredith was a secretary at a dental office where for 20 years she awaited a promotion. Her job was hectic and strenuous but she hoped her promotion from a secretary to personal assistant for the head dentist meant better pay for the work she was doing now. Bosses came and went and still no word on any raise.

"Um, now's not the time," Aunt Meredith said as she lowered her head down to look at the envelope in her hand, squeezing it gently, creasing the middle slightly.

"Oh, I see. I am sorry auntie," Jane looked with remorse as she glanced over at the item in aunt's hand.

"Jane, sweetie, sit down please. We must discuss something with you," Uncle Charlie spoke gently as he motioned her over to sit. Uncle Charlie was a gentle soul and a great man. He worked long hours at the factory for very little pay but enough to have food on the table and heat in the winter months. Everyone who met him instantly loved him. His personality seemed to rub off on people and everyone came to him for advice, never refusing a single person.

Jane slowly moved towards the chair and sat down, hands on her lap and looking confused as Aunt Meredith took a deep breath in and said, "We received this today," she picked up the envelope to eye level as she placed it on the coffee table in front of her. Jane stared at it briefly, eyes fixed on the object as her eyes ascended to her aunt and uncle's faces only to see them look gloomy and troubled.

"What is it?" Jane asked. She did not know what was going on but for the two of them to act this way it was obviously bad news.

"It's for you. Open it," Uncle Charlie said pointing to the envelope before cupping his hands and letting them fall on his lap.

Jane slowly lifted herself off the chair. Walking towards the table she reached over for the envelope. She had no idea what could be in there, what they knew. She almost didn't want to know. It was as if her life could come crashing down in the next few moments. She made her way back to the chair. Sitting down, she slowly reached over and opened the envelope. There was a single sheet of paper in there. Nervously, she put the envelope between her leg and the arm of the chair and unfolded the paper.

She glanced over at the return address _Beira,_ _Mozambique, South Africa._ Her eyes widened as she kept on reading.

_Dear Ms. Jane Porter,_

_Hello. My name is __Bongani__Ndiaye, the head of African Wilderness Preservation and Studies Foundation, AWPSF, and I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected among the lucky few who will join us for our reopening of the internship program. You have been selected to participate in a yearlong study and exploration of the Jungles of South Africa with the fore-most leaders in the AWPSF. In the next week expect a package with your plane ticket and a list of all the essentials you will need to supply to have a comfortable and safe time in South Africa. If there are any further…_

Jane stopped reading as she dropped the paper to her lap and stared straight in to her Aunt's eyes.

"I, this is, I can't…" Jane could not speak as she just kept her eyes locked on her Aunt. This was the moment she had been dreaming about since she was a little girl. Night after night her Aunt would read to her books about the African jungle, encyclopedias filled with nothing but African wildlife, and fictional stories of the jungle life. Jane inherited all her fascination of the jungle life from her father, Professor Archimedes Q. Porter who wrote many papers on the subject of the African jungle, but never got a chance to go there in person. Complications arose when Jane's mother was pregnant and ultimately died at childbirth, leaving the widowed professor to take care of a baby girl on his own. The strain was too much for him to bear and when Jane turned 3 years old, he died unexpectedly. His will entrusted his brother Charles Porter with his daughter and the couple raised her as their own, never once allowing her to forget who her real parents were.

Both of them understood that one of these days she would walk in her father's footsteps and live in the African jungle; studying and learning all there is to know. What they did not expect was that it would come so soon. Jane had recently entered her second year of college and now she would leave to one of the most secluded parts of the world, on her own, surrounded by wildlife that would sooner tear her flesh in two. This was too much for her aunt to handle and tears began to stream down her face. Jane quickly rushed to her aunt's side and swung her arms around her neck.

"Aunt Meredith, Uncle Charlie," She began to speak as she took her hands away and knelt before them, holding on to their hands, "I love both of you with all my heart. There is not a day I do not think I am the luckiest girl in the world to have two amazing parents who love me as much as you two do. Please understand this is my dream. I have waited for the day I would have an opportunity like this and here it is, staring me straight in the face. I am not asking for money, I am asking for your support," Jane stared at the two; tears began to well in her eyes as she waited for them to speak.

"We just want you to be happy," Uncle Charlie spoke before grabbing Jane and hugging her tightly. Aunt Meredith joined along as they embrace and she cupped Jane's face gently.

"Well, I guess we need to get all those supplies then," she said quickly as Jane lunged forward embracing her aunt again before releasing her and running to the kitchen to finish her chores.

The next week was hectic. Jane had paperwork to fill out for her school and the foundation. Aunt Meredith went shopping with Jane for the supplies in her spare time, and Uncle Charlie dusted off the boxes in the attic to find some things to give to Jane.

Jane barely slept that week as her departure neared. She was nervous, excited, overwhelmed, fearful, so many emotions at once that kept her mind going all hours of the night. Finally the day of her flight, her suitcase packed and her nerves kicking in at full speed. She exited her room, pulling her suitcase on its wheels with her backpack hanging off one shoulder as she walked towards the door. Walking out the doorway she saw a taxi was parked in front of the house, trunk open ready for her to leave. The driver took her things in to the car and shut the door, waiting for her to say her goodbyes. Jane stood at the stoop looking up at her Aunt and Uncle. Her eyes began to water as she quickly brushed them off and ran up for one last hug.

Placing one hand on her shoulder, Uncle Charlie handed her a journal.

"This was your father's journal. He bought it especially for you to begin writing down your adventures and this was his compass. It was his most prized possession and is willed to you," he handed the book to Jane and placed the compass on top. She could not hold back the flow of tears as she gave them both one last embrace.

"I love you both so much," Those were her last words as she sprinted down the stairs and in to the taxi to avoid from changing her mind and staying. She took one last glance back as she saw them waving and hear them saying "We love you so much Jane," as they watched the taxi turn and disappear.

Jane was terrified. This would be the first time she was away from her aunt and uncle, and to add more fear, this was her first plane ride. They never could afford a vacation so they always would just drive down to the beach or the countryside for a weekend.

As she left the taxi and entered the airport she froze.

This was it, no turning back after this moment_._ She began to think about everything at once, getting dizzy and nearly falling backwards. Her grip on the suitcase is what kept her upright.

_I can do this. I am old enough to make my own decisions, and this is my dream._

Dream. That word put a smile on her face and tears to her eyes as she proceeded through the airport. She finally made it to her gate and saw the airplane she would board. She expected something bigger. This plane seemed to be able to hold no more than 40 passengers. Making her way through the gate she entered the plane, finding her seat she sat and opened her bag. She took out the journal and marked the date and began to write.

_April 10._

_Left home for the first time. Waiting in the plane for lift off. Am so terrified but so happy all at once. _

She closed her book and placed it between her and the arm of the seat, buckling her seatbelt.

The plane lifted off without complications and in several hours would land in the Beira National Airport. Jane's eyes were fixed on the outside of the plane. From lift off to landing she stared at the scenery, watching the clouds roll by. The plane arrived at Beira in the afternoon and the scenery was nothing she had ever seen. The city looked different from what she was used to and the temperature was so high, she had a hard time focusing on anything for the first few minutes after she got off the plane. Once she got her luggage and was ready to leave a man stood there by the exit with her name written on a piece of paper. Jane approached the man slowly and smiled cautiously as she spoke.

"Hello sir. I am Jane Porter."

"Welcome to South Africa Miss. I am Jack O'Riley, one of the field researchers at the AWPSF. It is a pleasure to meet you," He smiled as he held out his right hand towards her. She shook his hand nervously.

The man smiled and gestured her to follow him as he took her luggage and wheeled it out in to an uncovered Jeep. He opened the passenger's door for her and she sat in and they were off. She attempted to speak but was cut off by the driver.

"You are dressed very appropriately for the African jungle miss," He smiled continuing," Many of the interns do not understand how hot and humid the jungle can be and end up stripping down layers in hopes of not getting heat stroke," He laughed and brought a bottle to his mouth and drank quickly.

"I read about the heat and thought these clothes would be the most suitable," Jane was wearing cotton cropped pants, beige with 6 pockets to hold any materials or tools she would need for the trip. Her boots were black, laced up to the tip just covering her ankles and her shirt was a white button up sleeveless and she wore a tank underneath. She was still very hot nonetheless but this is the best she could do without stripping to her intimates.

Her focus was on the scenery around them as they drove for hours to get to their location. Arriving after the sunset she saw bright lights around as they drove through a dirt road for another hour before arriving at the location.

This area was massive. It had 15 small huts arranged in a circle and a huge building on the left side of the entrance. Each hut had its own light and was situated roughly 10 feet from the next. She got out of the car and Jack ran out to the first building. He came back and took her luggage and asked her to follow him. They were heading in the direction of the second to last hut towards the right and he opened the door and turned on the lights.

"This will be your place. You have your own bathroom and the main eating area is in the first building. Here is your key. Get some sleep because tomorrow is the seminar and they will explain everything. Goodnight," Jack placed her suitcase near the bed and left. Jane walked towards the door and locked it, turning around to see her home for the next year. It was bigger than she would have expected. On the left was a twin sized bed with a window in the center and a small end table with a lamp against the wall. Towards the right there was a desk with a small work station on its right where there were beakers and burners. Towards the back was the door to the bathroom. A smile went upon her face as she walked towards the bed and fell back first looking up at the ceiling. She was surprised to see a skylight that took up half the ceiling. She ran over to shut the lights and sat in bed, looking up at the night sky. The glass was so clean she was able to see the millions of stars that filled the African night. She slowly sank to the bed and fell asleep instantly.

A loud bell rang as Jane quickly opened her eyes and sat up from her bed. She uncovered the blinds to her window and watched as people began to walk about the site. She stumbled out of bed and ran to the bathroom quickly getting ready and leaping out of her hut, grinning as she saw all the people walking around. A voice on the intercom began to speak in a very distinct African accent.

"Good mornin' everyone. Please join us all in the seminar hall at 7 a.m. sharp," Jane looked at her watch, 6:30. She had a little time to roam around and perhaps meet some of the other interns. She turned her head towards her right to see if anyone was exiting the hut next to hers. A young girl with short black hair and tan skin stepped out wearing shorts and a tank that had 'USA' printed on the chest. Jane slowly walked over and began to greet the stranger.

"Hello there. My name is Jane. It is a pleasure to meet you," Jane smiled widely and extended her arm to shake. The girl reciprocated speaking in an American accent.

"Hi there! I'm Vivian. Great to meet you. I am guessing from your accent you're British," She smiled and shook Jane's hand vigorously.

"Why yes. And you are American correct? What a thrill to meet you. I am looking forward to meeting all the others. There must be students from all over the world here," Jane could not control her enthusiasm. She would be surrounded by people who share a love for the jungle like her, comparing notes and knowledge. She knew she would learn so much from everyone.

"I bet. This program is extended to all the countries in the world," Vivian spoke as she turned her attention to the huts on the other side of the site. "Shoot! I have to go wake up my boyfriend .I will meet you in the hall. Save a seat for the both of us will you," Vivian smirked as she ran to the other side of the camp to her boyfriend's hut. Jane almost skipped to the hall from all this excitement. She had made a friend and was about to make more. She entered the hall and her mouth fell open. That building was enormous. Walking in there was an entry way to the kitchen on your right and in front of her was a massive hall with only about four rows of ten chairs each that filled 10% of the space. She walked over to the second row on the left side and saved the seats for her new friend and her boyfriend.

Vivian came in and found Jane, nearly running to her.

"Jane, this is Dex, my boyfriend," Dex was extremely tall, pale skin and short curly brown hair. He smiled and shook Jane's hand softly as he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you Jane."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Dex," Jane sat back and Vivian joined her with Dex at the edge. Everyone gathered in the hall and as Jane looked around there was only ten other chairs filled as she turned her attention back towards the stage. A man in beige shorts, a vest with a white shirt underneath and an explorer's hat walked on the stage. He had chocolate colored skin and a bird perched on his left shoulder. Jane stared at the bird until she realized what it was, a red-necked falcon. Her eyes widened as she got so excited she nearly jumped out of her skin. This is her first encounter with an animal from Africa and it was breathtaking. The man motioned his hands for everyone to be seated and began to speak.

"Hello everyone. My name is Bongani Ndiaye. I am so thrilled to see so many young faces hear. I welcome you on behalf of the AWPSF. Today I will talk about the journey you will be taking for the next year here in Africa. There are many things you need to know about the jungle. You must respect the land and the animals for we are strangers to them. We are all here to protect the animals and land and learn from them," he walked over to the wall and hit a button making a screen slowly roll down the wall. The lights went out as a projector lit up the screen and a map of the location appeared in front of the audience. "This is our location. We are over 200 miles from any port. We will be traveling within about a 100 mile radius from this campsite over the course of your stay. This is one of 5 locations we have built in South Africa. This year you will mostly spend your time around this area. We will tour the jungles of South Africa and you will become familiar with the land and the creatures. We will leave every morning at 6 a.m. and travel up the river a few miles before setting up camp and we will spend two days there before heading up again another few miles. This is a process we will do for approximately 2 weeks before returning back to camp so everything you need to pack is on the list," he gestured for a man in the back to change the slide and there was a list displayed of all the supplies the students needed to pack. "We will head out first thing tomorrow so pack your bags and relax today. We have a very difficult travel the next few days," He smiled and left the stage as the lights went back on and everyone began walking out of the hall.

Jane was so excited for the upcoming days that she quickly said goodbye to Vivian and Dex and ran in to the hut to start packing.

"I will definitely need these, and this, oh and I can't forget these," She spoke to herself as she rummaged through her suitcase packing up all her supplies in to her backpack. As soon as she thought she had finished packing she remembered something very important. "My journal," she walked towards the end table and grabbed her journal and with a tight squeeze managed to close her backpack. There was a knock on the door. As she opened it Vivian and Dex stood in front of her smiling.

"Hey Jane! You finished packing? Because Dex and I were gonna go eat. Join us!" Vivian said as she pulled Jane out of the hut and they all walked over to the Hall. As they ate they shared their knowledge on the African jungle, their conversations lasting for hours until they heard the intercom voice say, "Curfew at 9 p.m. Please return to your huts." The three of them left and each headed their separate ways, waving goodbye to each other.

That night Jane barely slept. Her excitement was overwhelming and it was hard to contain a smile. She had been ecstatic since the moment she got off the plane. She missed her family dreadfully but this was where she belongs. This would be her life now. The jungle her new home.


	2. A Chance Encounter

**A/N: **Hello all. I apologize for not having any smutty smut smut in this chapter as well. Another introductory chapter but Tarzan appears! I do promise that there will start to be scenes in the up coming chapters.

I would appreciate comments if you have the time. Thank you all so much. You are all wonderful.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tarzan, the ideas, the characters or the original theme. i do not profit from it nor will I ever. This is purely for fictional pleasure. C=

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The sun peeked through Jane's shades, shining brightly waking her instantly. The morning had come and Jane sprung out of bed like a frog off a lily pad and ran for the bathroom. Washing quickly, she bolted out of the shower completely soaked and barely dried herself off as she dressed and grabbed the backpack on the way towards the door. As she swung the door open with great vigor, the handle hit the rail and echoed, traveling throughout the site. Jane stood there and watched as the area was filled with the young interns and the team members as they prepared to leave for the two week expedition. She attempted to spot Vivian but could not find her, so she decided to go in to the kitchen hall and eat a quick breakfast.

Entering the kitchen there were three different tables arranged along the wall, one with beverages and the others with a colorful assortment of fruits. Jane made her way towards the last table with her backpack hanging off of one shoulder marveling at the beautiful food in front of her. There were all kinds of fruits from kiwis to bananas to pineapples and even fruits that Jane only read about in her books, like the Natal plum. She reached over to grab the plum when the intercom announced a meeting in the hall. Jane turned and ran for the hall.

Everyone was being seated as Jane looked around and spotted Vivian, calling out to her.

"Vivian!" Waving her hand she nearly fell head first when someone grabbed her bag and pulled her up. She cleared her throat and turned to thank the person when she froze. This man was over six feet tall with a yellow collared shirt, sleeves rolled up and a leather strap around his torso that held a double barrel shotgun. He had short brown colored hair with a streak of gray just above his ears.

"You should be more careful miss," He said in a British accent as he walked past her towards the stage. Mr. Ndiaye stood there gesturing everyone to sit as he began to speak.

"Good mornin' everyone. How was your sleep? Very good I hope," he smiled as he walked over to the British man. "This here is Mr. Clayton. He will be one of the members accompanying us on the expedition. He is here to protect us and make sure we get to and from our destination without any casualties," He giggled softly as he proceeded," There is a team of researchers that drove out this mornin' scopin' out the area for potential predators and as soon as we get the call it's safe we will head out. What you have to know about today is one simple rule, STAY WITH THE GROUP." He exclaimed. "I cannot stress this enough how important it is to stay with us today," Another hand gesture and two men came forward with a bag and began to give out two devices to each person. "These are your walkie talkies and your gps trackers. You must always wear your gps tracker on your waist so if in the event you are lost we can track you down and get you. The walkie talkies are for communication. Never lose any of these or else you will be on your own." A serious look encompassed his face as he waited for everyone to receive their gadgets.

"Now there are a few other things we need to discuss. One, today we are traveling as a group, so stay alert and stay with the group. Two, don't make loud noises. It attracts animals. Three, we will stop three times during this hike so that is the only time you will eat and do any bodily function needed. No exceptions. Today we are responsible for you but starting tomorrow you will be on your own. We will gather every night for meals and separate during the day for about a week. Every other day we will change our camp location so keep your radios on and listen for the location we will meet at. This is an opportunity for all of you to explore the jungle on your own and learn about the ecosystem. The entire team is always patrollin' a radius of 3 miles from the site of our meeting so as long as you don't travel beyond that radius, you will be safe. If you hear a gunshot that is your immediate warning to get to our meeting site and await further instructions. This procedure is only in emergencies in the off chance that a predator has entered the safe radius. Besides that just remember to always be vigilant and stay in touch with all of us. Any questions?" Mr. Ndiaye waited for a moment before he heard his phone ring. Answering it he nodded towards Mr. Clayton and the Englishman walked out first. Soon after, a member from the back of the hall told the group to follow him and the interns proceeded towards the exit.

Vivian grabbed Jane by the wrist and spoke, "Jane, let's stay together," She smiled and pulled Jane and Dex towards the door.

The group was organized so that Mr. Clayton would be in front, followed by Mr. O'Neil. The interns followed and Mr. Ndiaye was behind. The hike began at 6:30 a.m. and the first portion lasted for four and a half hours.

Jane was so fascinated by the scenery that Vivian kept her in front, making sure she would not fall behind. There were trees five stories tall covered with a shiny green moss. There was no empty space around as vines and flowers encompassed the background, making the enormous trees disappear in to the scenery.

The first break was at 11:00 a.m. and lasted for an hour. By that time they have walked over 15 miles. Exhausted, most of the interns fell upon the ground as they relaxed and ate. Jane had only grabbed some bananas when they left and was disappointed she did not grab that plum. After the hour break they pressed forward, going another five hours before stopping for another break, this time it lasted 90 minutes.

Jane began to feel her thighs and calves ache from all this walking as she looked at her gps to see how far they were from the site.

_32 miles. _

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She never thought she would be able to walk 32 miles in less than ten hours. The pace of the group was so hasty that she did not have a moment to gaze at the fauna of the land. The break was once again over and the group pressed on for their last hike at 6:30 p.m. This hike lasted only two hours as the sun was beginning to set. The entire hike lasted eleven and a half hours and they covered a distance of 38 miles, the camp site now being situated in the remote part of the jungle.

"This is where we will camp for the night," Mr. Ndiaye announced. There were six tents put up and a fire burning in the middle of the area. "You will each pair up with one person and they will be your tent buddy. As we will be switching locations every other day you will remain with that person for the duration of this expedition," he pointed to the first tent on the left. "That is the tent of the members. We will be there in the morning before you leave and be the last to come to the campsite after the sun sets. Tomorrow we will go over all the information again before we allow you to explore on your own," he said and walked towards the tent.

Vivian looked to Jane and grabbed her arm, "Tent Buddies," she said laughingly and pulled her towards the last tent on the right. Vivian glanced over at Dex and blew him a kiss, as they both slipped in to the tent.

The tent was big. A man over six feet tall could easily walk through it without any complications. There was nothing else inside but a hanging light from the top of the tent that was already on. Jane turned towards the entrance of the tent and zipped it down allowing for privacy. The two girls stayed up for half the night talking, Vivian about her relationship and Jane about England. It was nearing dawn before Vivian fell on to her sleeping bag.

Jane reached over her head to her backpack and drew from it her journal. Once again dating the page she wrote briefly before falling asleep.

_April 12_

_Hiked for almost 12 hours. Thighs and calves burning and this heat is not making anything better. Tomorrow will start the journey of a lifetime, exploring the jungle. Maybe will spot a gorilla or a chimpanzee._

* * *

A piercing unfamiliar sound echoed in the jungle as leaves rustled underneath a gorilla's feet. The gorilla's hair flowed in the air as it ran trying to keep up with its friend.

"Tarzan!" The gorilla cried out confused by which direction to go. Double taking, the gorilla decided to head back the way it came and disappeared in to the jungle.

A man wearing a loin cloth swung through the vines rapidly making his way towards the source of the sound.

_What was that?_

Thinking to himself he could not comprehend what he was hearing and what he would see. In the distance he saw a very strange object moving quickly through the dirt. It looked like nothing he had ever seen before. He followed the object throughout the jungle until it had stopped, causing him to perch on top of a tree, holding a vine in his right hand staring perplexed at the sight below. His eyes moved from one point of the object to another, up, down, around. The object made him more curious as he lowered himself with the vine carefully to touch the object. His arm extended out before he heard another rumble and the object moved on in to the distance.

His curiosity grew as he swung fast from vine to vine for the entire day only to end up at an even stranger sight. He had lost the moving object and was now gazing at a new scene. Six similar shaped objects stood there glowing in the darkness as if the sun was trapped inside each one. He heard a noise behind him and climbed further up the tree, never losing eye contact with the ground.

Creatures came through the jungle in to the area of the shining objects. They all walked on two legs, bizarre bulges on their backs, and hairless arms and faces. The vine began to tear as he squeezed harder realizing what he was seeing.

Each one of those creatures took the bulge off their backs and placed it on the ground. Then, they all looked at the creature in front of the bright shining object who had something covering his head. Tarzan could not hear anything but could see these creatures looked like him.

A smile grew upon his face as he dropped down a few branches to get a closer look. They all surrounded this one creature, meaning he might be their leader and it seemed as if they were listening to him. Tarzan could not understand anything but he became more and more intrigued.

He started to wonder if this was why Kerchak, the leader of the gorillas he had been raised with, neglected him all his life, calling him an outsider. He was not a gorilla; he might be one of them. Tarzan had to make sure. He had to know whether what he was feeling was real. He was ready to get down when he saw the creatures retreat in to the shining objects. He would have to wait until tomorrow. He withdrew in to the jungle, perplexed and thrilled about his discovery, and anxious at what awaited him tomorrow.

* * *

Jane awoke to the sounds of birds singing and crickets' chirping as a rumble was heard from outside the tent. She yelled for Vivian to wake up and they both unzipped the tent door and walked out. Jane watched as Mr. O'Neil went from tent to tent waking up anyone who was still sleeping. Once everyone was out of the tents, they all gathered near Mr. Ndiaye, awaiting his instructions.

"All right. Have a good sleep in your tents?" Giggling he continued, "This will be our location for the next two days and then the crew will pack up the tents that following afternoon and you will be given coordinates for our next campsite. Today you may leave your sleeping bags in the tents and just take any materials you might need such as a flashlight, first aid kit, and anything else you may want. Remember your gps stays on your belt and your radio is ALWAYS on," he smiled and threw his hands in the air, "Welcome to the African Jungle!" as he laughed and wished them a safe journey. Everyone either went as a small group or on their own. Jane joined Vivian and Dex and they headed north towards the river bed.

* * *

Tarzan left as soon as the sunlight gleamed through the trees. Swinging fast and with a mission he arrived at the site he remembered yesterday.

_It's still there. _

Sighing in relief he sat back on the tree and observed the actions of the creatures below. Each seemed to come out of the big objects when the creature spoke to them. He watched intently as they all gathered by their leader. If he could just meet one, he would have all the answers he was looking for.

In the sunlight Tarzan noticed things he couldn't even imagine. They were different colors, different shapes, and each had peculiar rags on their bodies. He became more excited as they began to scatter. He would follow one and get a much closer look. He thought of the leader first but when he glanced in the area where he was standing, he had disappeared. Disappointed he followed the first one he set his eyes on.

There they were, three of them, seemed like one male and two females. The rags on their bodies were each very different and their skin went from pale to tan, the tan like Tarzan. Exhilarated, he climbed the tree a little further to not let them see him and followed them through the jungle.

* * *

"So Jane," Vivian spoke as they moved through shrubbery and around large moss covered rocks," What is it you want to see here, in the jungle?" Jane looked at her for a brief moment before looking up in to the trees and smiling.

"Gorillas." She breathed out and grinned.

"I read they are social creatures," Vivian continued passed the rocks and jumped on to a tree trunk.

"Perhaps with their own kind, but we are strangers to them, they will most definitely run from us," Jane said clearing her throat and moving forward.

"Maybe you will have better luck than us with your find," Dex spoke softly tripping on a rock.

Jane looked confused and asked, "Why? What are you two after?"

"Leopards!" They said in sync. Jane's eyes widened as she chuckled, looking at them in disbelief.

"Why on earth would you want to see leopards?" Jane asked as her attention was taken by what was behind Vivian.

"Because they are leopards! They are amazing, fast, deadly, beautiful creatures. I would-"Vivian noticed Jane was not paying any attention and turned to glance at what was behind her. A magnificent waterfall in the distance sprinkled water droplets all around the cliff causing a marvelous rainbow to appear as the trees surrounded the fall, making the background look like a painting.

"Wow," Jane said pushing through the bushes and out to the edge looking straight ahead at the water. The three of them marveled in the beauty of nature before something caught Vivian's eye and she pulled Dex with her. Jane was so mesmerized she did not realize that they had left. Silence had broken her trance and she looked around quickly, panic filled her mind.

"Jane this way!" Vivian's voice calmed Jane's nerves as she walked towards the sound of her voice. She made her way through jagged slippery rocks and fell head first through a bush on to a patch of grass, landing on her knees and hands, her backpack falling to her side. She got up slowly, brushed the dirt of her knees and hands and proceeded to lift her bag before raising her head.

"I thought you two- HEH!" She yelped, her hands quickly covering her mouth dropping her bag as she watched a creature jump from the trees a few feet in front of her. Fear traveled through her body as she gazed in to the eyes of the creature. Long, slender and terrifying, the leopard slowly inched its way closer to Jane; jaws opened bearing sharp fangs that could tear flesh in a matter of seconds. She knew she could not scream, that would only kill her quicker. She knew she could not out run a leopard. Jane was staring death in the face. The only thing she thought of doing was backing up slowly but her body would not move. Her mind screamed run but her legs were paralyzed with terror.

* * *

Tarzan saw the others leave the pale female behind and he realized now was his chance. He slowly made his way down the branches when he heard a noise coming from the distance. He saw the female head turn as she began to walk in that direction.

Intrigued, he followed her.

Seeing her stumble on the rocks put a smirk on Tarzan's face as he watched her continue onward. He watched her fall through the bushes and quickly leaped through the trees to see if she was alright. In that moment he glanced down at her only to be alarmed by the leopard that entered the scene.

* * *

The leopard walked to the left slowly staring at Jane. It growled low, continuing to walk towards her. In the next moment it attacked, thrusting its claws towards Jane's face. She gasped, uncovering her mouth only to be snatched by Tarzan and swung up to the trees, landing on a branch. She stared down at the leopard as it made its way up the tree. Jane panicked, lost her footing on the branch and screamed as she fell.

Tarzan leaped down, extending his arm to grab hers. Snatching it in one motion he held tight as the vine sprung up and sent them both flying towards the top of the trees. Jane's grip on his arm was breaking so like a bungee cord he snapped her up above him. Landing on a branch he caught her in his arms, Jane's hands wrapping around his neck.

Jane stared in to Tarzan's eyes, Tarzan doing the same as the branch snapped and sent them plummeting towards the ground.


	3. The Same

**A/N**: Hello once more beautiful souls. There has always been something that bothered me about the Disney _**Tarzan**_ movie and that was if he did not know how to speak English, how on this green Earth did he know how to say his name in a human language? Or am I over thinking this? Because I know that you are not suppose to question Disney movies because well they are Disney movies. Just a thought that fueled this chapter. Thank you for reading but once again no smutty smut smut in this chapter. Please be patient. I will 100% have some kind of action in the next chapter, maybe no sexy time but something in a form or another. Please if you have the time to comment I would greatly appreciate it.

**Disclaimer**:_ I do not own Tarzan, nor any ideas, characters, or scenes that I may depict and use from the Disney movie. I do not profit nor will I ever profit from this story. I give all the credit to Disney and the amazing people who work magic with their movies._

* * *

A crack echoed in Tarzan's ears as his gaze shifted beneath him, staring at the branch as it split in half and sent Tarzan and Jane falling towards the leopard. Screaming, Jane lost her grip on Tarzan's neck and fell head first towards the sharp fangs of the wild cat. Tarzan reached around for a vine as he held tightly and swung to grab Jane by the waist, released his grip on the vine and held Jane close as they dropped to the ground placing her down gently.

Jane's legs gave out as she dropped; her backside made contact with the dirt and sent vibrations up her spine. She hissed in pain as she stared eye level with the leopard and watched it run with immense speed towards her. Tarzan swung his body around; arms held out, grabbed the leopard and wrestled it down to the ground.

That was Jane's signal to run. Her feet kept slipping on the dirt as she made a hasty retreat for the bushes. She heard a faint scream of pain and turned to watch as the leopard broke free of Tarzan's hold, digging its claws in to his triceps then stumbled out from underneath his body and sprinted in Jane's direction. Jane stumbled over as she crawled backwards; she watched the leopard leap forward, only to have it stop midair and fall straight to the ground.

Tarzan grabbed the hind legs of the jungle cat and threw it behind him. The cat smashed against a tree, and rolled over breathing deeply as it slowly got up on its trembling limbs and glared at Tarzan.

Tarzan bared his teeth and growled viciously as he assumed the four legged stance and situated himself in front of Jane, knuckles on the ground, back hunched over ready to defend her. The leopard stood there, staring and waiting as it inched its way forward, towards the two, fangs out snarling.

Tarzan was running out of options. One miscalculated second and the leopard would rip his throat out and feast on Jane. Seeing as it was very difficult to get her away from the danger, he glanced around. Maybe he could use something against it, throw it off guard, or better yet, kill it.

The leopard gave him no time to plan as it lunged forward again, this time aiming for Tarzan's throat. Tarzan threw his arms in front of his head and grabbed the creature by the shoulders throwing it to the side with great difficulty. Luck was on Tarzan's side as the leopard flew straight for an enormous rock, colliding shoulder first on the jagged surface, flopping down on the grass barely conscious. He growled again and attempted to get up only to drop back down. Its shoulder had suffered a severe blow from the toss and could barely stand. Anger filling its eyes as it realized there was no other option but to give up, so it slowly crawled towards the bush and disappeared in to the jungle.

Sighing from the close call Tarzan flopped down. Suddenly he swiftly turned around and stared at Jane. Jane had been on the ground unable to move and now was beginning to regain focus as her vision shifted towards Tarzan.

Slowly moving on all fours he crawled towards Jane, one limb at a time. Jane began to panic once more, staring at this half naked wild man inching his way closer and closer to her. She tried to back up slowly but her body was still unresponsive.

"Umm…uuhh…you…y-y-you just stay…s-stay right there," She stuttered, watching him get closer and closer. She lifted her right arm, extended her hand, palm facing him and shook it vigorously, signaling him to stop. "Just stop. Don't…d-don't come any closer. I-I-I mean it you," her free hand dug nervously in to the dirt.

Tarzan froze, his eyes widened at the sight of her hand. He was mesmerized by it, the shape the color. He crawled closer to her, never taking his eyes off her hand. He drew his arm up and his knuckles glided against her palm only to have Jane attempt to withdraw her hand. Tarzan saw the movement and without blinking grabbed her wrist gently with his other hand bringing her palm closer to his face. Once again he placed his knuckles against her palm, moving upwards, towards the tips of her fingers before he opened his hand and placed it against hers.

Jane looked at his hand confused. Turning her attention towards his face, his expression seemed even more peculiar. He was enchanted by the moment, both hands fitting perfectly together, his manly hand overpowering her small fingers, but his were gentle. His eyes slowly met hers as he gazed in to her deep blue irises.

Jane watched his eyes narrow slightly, his lips widening in a shy smile. It was as if he was staring straight in to her being, understanding slowly what she was to him.

Snapping out of her trance she retreaded her hand away from his and cleared her throat.

Curiosity filled his face as he inched closer to her and made his way between her shoulder and neck. He sniffed her then withdrew for a moment to look in to her eyes before he reached over to caress her face gently.

Jane was becoming more uncomfortable and anxious, finding the ability to move again, she lifted her hand and planted a fast smack upon his face, sending a shockwave through his cheek. Tarzan was startled and retreated for a brief instant before slowly crawling back to her side, trying to continue what she interrupted.

"It serves you right. Don't come any closer you. Just stay there a-and keep your hands to yourself," Jane realized he would not give up so she extended her arms behind her, raised her bottom and moved away backwards from him on her hands and feet. Tarzan sat up in slight shock, moving forward, again towards her.

He would keep replicating her movement.

"Just, j-just stay there you. Really, don't, stop right there. K-keep away from-" Jane breathed in and held her breath as Tarzan reached out to cup her cheek with his hand.

_What is he doing?_

Tarzan's hand released her cheek only to extend behind her ear; he grabbed strands of her long brown hair and drew it towards his face up in to his nose and sniffed it. The smell was intoxicating.

_Her hair smells like home_.

He looked up in to Jane's eyes smiling sweetly proceeding to inhale more of her aroma. Jane's posture changed instantly from distant to curious, as she slowly sat up straight, reached up to take her hair away from the man's hand. Tarzan could not keep his eyes off her as he sat in front of her, just stared mesmerized.

"Ehhem. Um yes, that would be my hair," She released her hair, allowing it to fall on her shoulder. Jane gazed at him for a moment. "Um, who, who are you?" Speaking softly she leaned forward slightly, her hands placed on her thighs. "What is your name?" She annunciated every word, thinking maybe he understood some form of English. "Do you speak English?"

Tarzan just stared, confused he leaned forward watching her lips form the sounds she was making.

"English? Do you speak English?" Jane kept talking.

Tarzan contemplated these sounds before he opened his mouth to speak.

"English." He repeated the word, unable to understand what he just said but proud he mimicked her action.

"Oh goodness. Yes! English! Wonderful! You understand!" Jane was excited. She was able to make progress with this man now. "Amazing. I thought you were just a wild ape man person. Oh this is fantastic." Jane was interrupted by Tarzan who placed his fingertips against her mouth to make her stop talking. Jane focused on his hand for a brief moment before looking up at Tarzan. He withdrew his hand slowly to his knee as he positioned himself closer to Jane.

"OOH OOH" He grunted as he gestured and tapped his hands to his chest. "OOH OOH."

Jane was utterly confused by this.

He repeated, "OOH OOH," Then he looked at Jane who seemed perplexed. He was trying to make her understand what it is he was saying.

"I-I don't…" Jane shook her head slightly narrowing her eyes trying to comprehend what he wanted to communicate to her. Her lips started to form the same way Tarzan's did and she repeated the sound in her head before she allowed it to come out of her mouth. "Ooh Ooh," She said softly and Tarzan's face lit up as he smiled at Jane, and inched closer to her, grunting. He placed his hands on his knees and extended his head towards her, as if he was gesturing her to speak.

"I uh, I don't understand," She looked at him with confusion. She thought if she repeated the sound once more he would give her more clues as to what it is she was saying. "Ooh Ooh." Tarzan's smile grew wider as he took his hands to his chest. "OOH OOH," He said and then extended towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Jane's eyes widened as she finally realized what was happening.

"That, that is your name! Ooh ooh!" Jane exclaimed in total amazement. He was communicating with her. Enthusiasm engulfed her as she drew her hands to his slowly, wrapped her hands around his wrists and lifted his hands off her shoulder. She sat up, hands on her lap and gazed in to Tarzan's eyes. She smiled and cleared her throat before speaking. "Ooh Ooh," Pointed at Tarzan, "Jane," Pointed to herself, she looked at him as his eyes widened and he began to form his lips to speak.

"Jane," He spoke slowly.

"Yes! Brilliant!" She exclaimed as she watched his hand reach out to her face, slowly caressing her cheek. His eyes moved with his hands.

"Jane." He continued to stare, his eyes fixed on hers and his hand underneath her chin.

_Her name is Jane._

A rumble above them sent Tarzan in to panic as a gorilla fell from the tree tops above, and landed behind him.

Jane gasped. "Oh my word! A gorilla," She looked past Tarzan and gawked at it, unable to move from seer excitement. Tarzan turned to acknowledge the creature. He began to communicate with it, leaving Jane puzzled and astonished.

* * *

"Turk, what are you doing here?"

"Do you have any idea how long it took me to find you?! Tarzan we gotta go! Now! Kerchak is mad as heck and Aunt Kala is worried. Let's go!" The gorilla spoke, looking briefly at Jane before resuming the conversation with Tarzan. "I mean it. This ain't a joke." Pulling Tarzan towards the shrubbery, he looked back at Jane, torn between staying and leaving. A sound in the distance scared the gorilla and they ran in to the jungle, and disappeared instantly.

* * *

"Jane!" A voice in the distance was calling out for her. Jane turned towards its direction, gasping before turning back to see the man and gorilla gone. "Jane!" A woman ran out of the shrubbery, looked around and saw Jane. She ran straight towards her, fell to the ground and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck. "Are you alright? We were so worried!" Vivian exclaimed as she looked at Jane, her face in confusion and shock as Jane's gaze slowly met Vivian's.

Jane could not speak. She mouthed words but no sounds escaped. Dex looked around the area making sure they were safe before kneeling near Jane.

"Jane, you had us both so worried. We called out to you but you didn't answer us," Dex spoke as he placed his hand on Jane's shoulder for comfort. "What happened?"

Jane switched her stare to Dex trying to speak. "I-I-I," Jane was unable to form a coherent thought as she gazed back to the area she last saw Tarzan and her eyes widened. "Oh my goodness!" She screamed as she jumped up off the ground on to her feet and ran towards the bushes. She stopped herself and turned around to look at the two gawking at her in astonishment.

"Jane. What is it?" Vivian asked softly as she slowly approached the hysterical Englishwoman.

"I-I saw a gorilla!" She pronounced smiling widely and leaping in the air, clasping her hands together.

"What? Where?" Dex and Vivian said in unison as they walked in her direction.

"Right-right here. She was beautiful, well at least I think it was female. She was big, her coat shining in the sun. I-" Jane stopped herself. The man in the loin cloth was with her. The man who rescued her, approached her, and was communicating with a gorilla. Jane's eyes lit up as she could not contain her elation. Should she tell them about the man? She knew hardly anything about him, except his name.

"Uuh uuh," Jane mumbled under her breathe.

"What?" Vivian asked.

"Um, I-I did see something else as well," She said nervously. Her enthusiasm was dwindling in the thought of having to explain and possibly expose such a wild man.

_What if word gets out and they try to hunt him down? _

Jane was torn, but she trusted Vivian and Dex. Jane was not a very good liar, and she wanted to share her discoveries, not hide them from her future colleagues.

"I saw a leopard," She spoke fast watching Vivian and Dex's face shift from perplexed to sheer fright.

"You saw a LEOPARD?" Vivian screamed running to Jane and clutched her by the shoulders. Jane expected them both to respond with pure envy, but they did not. Vivian stared at Jane, eyes terrified before she began inspecting her clothes and skin for any wounds.

"Are you hurt?" Dex stood right beside Vivian, worry encompassed his face, "Wait aren't they patrolling the area around here? How on earth did you come across a leopard?" Dex looked at Jane before staring at Vivian; uneasiness enveloped the surrounding as they looked around them, hesitant about moving from their current location. "Hold on a moment," Dex grabbed his gps and measured their distance from the camp site. "Um girls, we are about six miles from our campsite, way out of the safe zone," He looked up at them, worry filled his eyes.

"I think we are safe for now Dex," Jane said, trying to calm them down. "I-I, I was saved," She proclaimed inhaling deeply before beginning to speak once more.

"I got sidetracked by the waterfall we saw earlier, and next thing I know you two disappeared. I panicked at that moment and then I heard your voice and was relieved. So I began to walk in the direction of your voice, looking for the both of you when I entered this open space, and there it was. A vicious jungle cat staring straight at me," Jane gestured as she spoke loudly, "I froze and then swoosh! I was up in the air, on the trees. I looked up and saw-"She paused for a moment, looking at their faces. She breathed out slowly and continued, "A half-naked man next to me," Jane halted for a moment and thought about exactly what came out of her mouth. It sounded so ludicrous and a complete fairy tale, but Vivian and Dex's faces did not budge at all. Jane exhaled as he continued.

"He, he saved me, scooped me up in to the tree but the branches broke and we fell. BAM! We were on the ground, staring straight at the leopard. He-he wrestled with it, down it went! Then threw it against those rocks before it vanished. I-I," She exhaled lowering her head in disappointment; "I am making no sense, aren't I?"

Vivian and Dex gaped at her, mouths wide open, total shock on their faces.

"J-Jane, Oh my god Jane! This-this is unbelievable!" Vivian jumped grabbing Jane by the shoulders. "What did he look like? Did he say anything? Did he hurt you?" Vivian's eyes filled with anger. Dex stood beside them, utterly speechless at what he was hearing. Jane was relieved they did not think she was insane. She smiled as she answered Vivian.

"No! No! Of course not." She paused. "He saved my life." She continued, "He, he seemed confused, as if I was the first person he had ever seen," Jane turned her head towards the bushes, looking past them as if he would be there, hunched over, staring. "He didn't speak; he didn't seem to behave like a man, more like a gorilla. And-"Jane remembered what he uttered. "I think he told me his name. I think," Jane seemed unsure about what she was about to say as she cleared her throat. "Ooh Ooh, he kept repeating. I think that is his name."

"What?" Vivian asked tilting her head puzzled.

"Ooh Ooh," Jane reiterated, "He kept repeating that, thinking I understood."

"You mean he didn't speak English?" Vivian was lost.

"Well no. He did mimic my words at times but from what I got he didn't understand what he was saying." This was so sudden that Vivian and Dex had a hard time processing all this information.

"Well, he-" Jane gasped as she glared past Vivian and began to run like a headless chicken. "Where is it?" She muttered to herself, ruffling through the bushes.

"Jane…"Vivian inched closer to her, reaching a hand out for comfort.

"Ah ha! Here it is," A black strap protruded from underneath a bush and Jane ran to it, pulling it quickly, revealing her backpack. "Oh thank goodness I didn't lose this."

Vivian and Dex smirked as they accompanied Jane, sitting around her. Jane dug through her backpack removing her journal from underneath all her supplies. She rummaged through the items once more pulling out a pencil, flipped open the journal and began to doodle something quickly. Vivian and Dex stared anxiously. She placed the journal in front of her. Vivian and Dex gasped as they studied what was on the page.

"He was hunched over and he didn't stand on two feet, he supported his weight on his knuckles," She pointed the pencil to the knuckles she drew," And he walked with all his limbs, like a gorilla," Jane spoke enthusiastically. "He, he was staring at me for quite a while, his eyes intense and confused at first," She began drawing his eyes, the other two watching before looking up at her face. She was smiling and her eyes seemed calm and delighted. "I-I have never seen such eyes before," As she finished drawing, Vivian smirked and let out a low chuckle.

"Would you like to be alone for a moment?" Dex tried to hold back a snort as Vivian began to cackle.

"You two stop it," Jane giggled, placed the pencil inside the journal and stuffed it back in to her backpack. "We might want to start heading back." Jane swung her bag behind her shoulder, Dex reached for his gps and they headed back to camp.

* * *

"Tarzan let's go!" Turk screamed running ahead. Tarzan slowed as he glanced behind him, stared in the distance where he left Jane.

"Jane," He said softly as he turned and caught up to Turk. They soon reached their family. Tarzan looked around and saw a gorilla running towards him.

"Tarzan," she said, "I was so worried about you. Are you alright?"

"Yes, mother I am fine," he smiled crookedly. Turk pushed through the other gorillas and stood in front of Tarzan.

"Well Aunt Kala we would have been here sooner," Turk turned to glare at Tarzan," But someone was slowing us down." Turk grinned as she sat on the ground.

"I'm sorry Turk. I just-" All the gorillas turned to watch the leader walk through and stand tall glaring at Tarzan. Tarzan gazed at him, eyes widening, "Kerchak."

He grunted as he walked away, towards a boulder. He climbed it and turned to look at the group.

"There are strangers here. We will avoid them at all costs. Stay away from them." He shifted his glare towards Tarzan.

"Kerchak, they will not hurt us." Tarzan spoke, hoping he would convince Kerchak otherwise.

"How do you know they won't?" Kerchak became irritated.

"I have spent time with one of them. They are-"

"NO! You will stay away from them." Kerchak interrupted as he puffed out his chest, his nostrils flared from anger.

"Why won't you give them a chance? Why are you threatened by anything different from you?" Tarzan bared his chest in frustration, staring down Kerchak. The gorilla walked down the boulder towards Tarzan, eyes narrowed.

"You will stay away from them. Protect this family," He demanded as he growled underneath his breathe and walked past Tarzan. Tarzan sneered and turned around, his anger fueling his actions.

"Tarzan, please," Kala walked towards him, "Listen to Kerchak for once."

"Why didn't you tell me there were others like me?" His eyes were filled with disappointment and anger as he ran towards the tree, climbed it and sat on a branch, looking in to the distance as the sun began to set. Kala looked at Tarzan, lowering her head as she sat there watching her son throughout the night.

* * *

When the trio reached the camp, they agreed to not speak of the incident with anyone else. If someone found out how far they had traveled, their expedition might be cut short.

That night Jane barely slept again as she held the journal up to her face, mesmerized by the drawing of the wild man. She followed his form with her fingers.

"Who are you?" She whispered to herself, turning her attention for a moment to the sleeping Vivian before reverting back to her drawing. "I don't even truly know your name.." Jane slowly lowered herself on to her sleeping bag, her journal placed against her chest, her hands gripped at it as she stared up in to the darkness the only thought that filled her mind was that of the ape man.

"I would like to see you again, wild man," She said softly before she fell asleep.


	4. The Meeting

**A/N:** Hello there my angels. It has been so very long since I updated I have realized that. I cannot express how sorry I am. But now I have a lot of free time so expect every few days a new chapter. This one once again has no smutty bangity bang but I have already started the next chapter and expect something in that one. Please bear with me on these chapters. They are like intros to the story line but it will get more physical I promise. Thank you all once again for not ripping my throat over the long long overdue update. I will upload the next chapter either tomorrow night and Friday.

**_(I do not own Tarzan or any characters associated with Tarzan. It is owned by Disney and I make no profit from this or any other story. This is for recreational purposes only)_**

* * *

_April 13_

_Can't stop thinking about him, his eyes, oh those eyes, so piercing and brilliant just staring right through me. He saved me, a total stranger, an intruder in _his_ jungle._

_Why did he save me? _

_Who are you ape man?_

* * *

The sunlight crept in through the tent as the morning dew settled around the land, a light fog drifting across the camp. A low bell sounded, its low yet piercing noise waking those who still slept. Jane and Vivian tossed about, each covering their heads underneath their sleeping bag, trying to cancel out the noise with their sleeping bags over their heads. The bell kept its irritating sounds emanating through the camp, Jane and Vivian rose up simultaneously, their eyes barely focusing on the space around them as each of them let out a low groan of irritation.

"What in the hell is that? I feel like my ears are bleeding?" Vivian spoke agitated as she angrily kicked the sleeping bag open and crawled on to her feet.

Jane yawned loudly, her hands stretching above her head as she rubbed her eyes and gazed at Vivian briefly.

"Uh perhaps you should change before you leave the tent?" Jane said softly. Vivian looked down at her body only to realize at some point during the night she must have slipped out of her bottoms, her shirt coming slightly below her hips but her legs exposed. Jane snorted underneath her breath as she made her way out of the sleeping bag.

Making their way out of the tent, Jane noticed everyone scurrying about, trying to get their supplies ready, and running from the food storage back to their tents and around the entire area. Vivian had rushed off in search of Dex. After a moment she found herself pulled by Vivian, Dex by her side, towards Dex's tent. They quickly entered and Dex closed the entrance, giving the three of them privacy.

"Jane, I was thinking. Maybe we can go back to the waterfall. I am dying for a swim," Vivian spoke rapidly, her eyes focused on Jane.

"What? Are you serious?" Jane yelled, her eyes widening, her hands quickly covering her mouth, hoping no one heard her voice. "There is a giant cat roaming around somewhere in the jungle," Jane whispered as her face twisted in horror, not understanding if Vivian recalled what happened yesterday.

"Jane, please! Wouldn't you want a quick dip in that amazing water?" Vivian grabbed Jane's hands and gazed in to her eyes. Jane rolled her eyes knowing that there is nothing she can say that can convince her otherwise and just shook her head in agreement. "Yes!" Vivian said, her arms wrapping around Jane's neck, squeezing her tightly. "And maybe you will see that naked man again," She snickered standing and swiftly running towards the entrance of the tent.

"He was not naked!" Jane yelled laughing as Vivian left the tent, hurrying towards the food storage.

"You should get used to this Jane. Vivian always gets what she wants," Dex smiles softly, as he stood up and offered a hand to Jane to help her up. "Let's at least make sure she doesn't get herself or us killed."

Jane grinned as she followed Dex outside the tent Vivian waiting beside the entrance. She had an enormous grin on her face, and her backpack was stuffed to the point where it was ready to erupt from the amount of items forcefully shoved in to it.

"Vivian, what is all that for?" Dex looked worried.

"Well I figured we will be there for a while and it's better to have enough food for the four of us!" Smirking she turned around and walked away slowly, her head held high.

"The four of us?" Dex raised an eyebrow, watching Vivian walk away.

"Yup, us and the naked man."

"He is _NOT_ naked," Jane screamed and some of the people around them turned their attention towards Jane, the expressions on their faces filled with confusion and disturbance.

Jane cleared her throat and walked swiftly off towards Vivian, her eyes locked on the ground in front of her.

A voice encompassed the camp site as all the students attention shifted in the direction of the sound.

"Attention everyone. Please gather around the sitting area for a few announcements."

Within a few minutes the entire sitting circle was filled with people as Mr. Ndiaye made his way to the center near the fire pit.

"Good morning everyone. I am so happy to see all your faces again. As you know we were supposed to be heading out tonight to our next site. We will be staying one more night here due to some delays in our scouting and tomorrow you will prepare all your things and head out once more and we will send you the next coordinates to the site. Now today is another day for you to get a hang of the environment you are in and start gathering some interesting findings. I hope you all had a good adventure yesterday," he smiled widely, "Now Mr. Clayton and Mr. O'Riley have already left to the next site early this morning to do a surveillance of the surrounding area and will be back tonight to let us know if we will proceed. Until further notice we are staying in this camp. I will be around until this afternoon on site before heading out for a quick surveillance if anyone has any questions or concerns. Otherwise, enjoy your day and I will see you all back here at 8 p.m." With that he waved to all the students as they stood and walked towards the jungle.

Vivian grabbed a hold of Jane and Dex and pulled them towards the direction of the waterfall.

It had been another early morning for them and the walk to the waterfall felt longer than yesterday, their leg muscles soar from all the walking they have been doing these past couple of days. The moment they reached the clearing and saw the beautiful clear water cascading down the cliff, Jane dropped down, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, I feel as if it took us such a long time to get here. What time is it now?" Jane asked.

"It is 10 o'clock," Dex answered looking a bit shocked.

"Seriously? Awesome!" Vivian said jumping in excitement as she scanned around for a path down to the fall. Jane and Dex could barely keep up with Vivian and soon enough they made it to the bottom of the hill, looking straight on to the waterfall and the enormous lake sized area it flowed in to.

"Come on Jane!" Vivian began to take her shirt off when she glanced over to Dex. "Now Dex," Vivian began to speak clearing her throat, "Be a gentleman and look away as Jane and I take a quick swim," Dex rolled his eyes in irritation as his back turned to the girls. Jane looked over at Vivian in annoyance.

"Vivian!" Jane spoke angrily but Vivian was already down to her intimates and ready to enter the water.

"Come on Jane! I am not asking you to be naked! You have a change of underwear don't you? Let's go!" She said and she quickly entered the water. Jane quickly took her first layer of clothing off, exposing her body to the jungle air. It felt warm against her back and stomach as she rapidly made her way in to the water.

They spend about 15 minutes in the water, swimming, soaking their bodies.

Vivian lay on her back floating freely on the water as the sun hit her skin, sending a tingle throughout her stomach. Jane looked up to gaze at the trees around them, greens and browns filling the scenery. Jane felt so calm at that moment, her mind clear and calm, only for her to see something out of the corner of her eye heading towards them. She shifted her eyes in the direction of the moving object under the water only to turn rapidly towards Vivian.

"There's something in the water! Get out!" She screamed gesturing Vivian to swim towards the land. Dex heard and scrambled to his feet, running towards the water and helping Vivian out of the water, waiting for Jane. Jane swam quickly only to be grabbed by the mystery beast and pulled underwater in an instant.

"JANE!"

* * *

"What am I going to do Turk?" Kala spoke softly, her head falling down as she sighed.

"Aunt Kala," Turk raised her hand to Kala's face, looking at her Aunt in pain and heartache. Turk and Kala looked up, watching Tarzan in a nearby tree, sitting on a branch and looking out in to the jungle.

Tarzan was looking in the direction where he left Jane, her face flashing in his mind as he smiled sweetly remembering her name.

"Jane," Tarzan needed to see her again. His yearning to be near her, to smell her, to gaze in to her eyes and hear her voice was something he has never experienced. Tarzan stood on the branch, and without glancing back he leaped forward, rushing to find her.

He made it to the clearing only to find she was not here. Disappointment spread across his face as he twisted around, thinking maybe she will come, only to hear something in the distance. A splashing of water echoed throughout the land as Tarzan made his way towards the source of the noise. He crouched down looking below him, his eyes widened with happiness.

There she was, her hair soaked, swimming in the crystal clear water with another creature similar to her. He glanced at the other one, floating on the water, before bringing his attention back to Jane. He gazed at her for a moment before he witnessed them both swimming towards the shore hastily, a third creature on land waving his arms towards them. The darker haired one got out and Jane was close behind before he saw her disappear underneath the water, Tarzan gasped in horror, watching Jane sink deeper and deeper.

* * *

Vivian screamed for Jane as she ran towards the water, only to be stopped by Dex.

"Stop! Stay here." Dex quickly threw the gadgets around his belt on the grass only to stop before he entered the water. Dex saw a figure dropping from the top of the waterfall entering the water with great speed.

Vivian froze staring at the ripples, fear engulfing her thoughts.

* * *

Tarzan jumped over the cliff as he dove in to the water, frantically trying to locate Jane. He saw her further down, her legs wrapped by a thick green snake, dragging her down further in to the depths. Tarzan swam faster, trying to reach Jane, watching her struggle to free herself before her movements became very still, her arms floating around her.

Tarzan reached for her and when he pulled on her arms, it caught the snake's attention. The creature swam straight for Tarzan, ready to strike. It's mouth opening for a bite. Tarzan swung his arm around and caught the snake around its head, wrapping his other arm around the other side of its head, trying to crush the beast quickly. As he heard a crack underneath his armpit, he released his grip on the snake. The snake floated around Tarzan, motionless, the grip on Jane's legs releasing.

Tarzan swam rapidly for Jane, grabbing her waist and swimming for the surface.

* * *

Dex held Vivian back from entering the water, Vivian's hand squeezing at Dex's arm as tears began to roll down her eyes. They thought there was nothing more they could do. Jane has been underwater for more than 2 minutes. All they could do was look out in to the water.

Out in the distance Vivian saw something come up on to the surface. A man broke through the water, Jane with him. Vivian fell to her knees, crying as she crawled to the edge of the water and waited for him to swim to the shore. When he reached the shallow end he stood walking with Jane in his arms. Dex ran up to him, Vivian close behind as he cupped her head and placed his ear close to her chest, listening for any signs of life.

Dex withdrew as he stared at the wild man holding Jane. He lifted his arms slowly and spoke to the man.

"We need to get Jane on the ground, perform CPR," Tarzan heard Jane's name and his eyes widened, confusion erupted on his face.

Dex saw the man's reaction to him uttering Jane's name and proceeded cautiously.

"The ground," He said, his hands gesturing to the ground slowly kneeling and pointing at Jane.

"Jane. Jane," Dex repeated.

"Jane," Tarzan uttered and slowly placed Jane on the ground near Dex's feet, releasing his hold on her and watching him intently.

"We need to get the water out of her lungs!" He said placing his hands on Jane's chest. He began to pump his hands against her chest, in even intervals before lowering his head to hear for any signs of breathing.

"Vivian, tilt her head backwards," Vivian knelt by her head and tilted it backwards, holding it inches from the ground.

Tarzan glared at them, narrowing his eyes, unable to understand but desperate to help Jane.

After a few more repetitive pumps, Jane's mouth opened as she coughed out water, turning to her side, her face against the grass.

Tears rolled down Vivian's face as Dex fell backwards on his bottom, sighing from relief.

Tarzan gazed at Jane, unable to move for a moment.

_She's alive. _

Tarzan smiled widely before lifting his head, glaring at Dex, his smile disappearing instantly. Dex remained still, waiting to see what the man would do. Tarzan simply glared at Dex, did not move, did not make any sounds, just glared at Dex as if studying him.

Jane began to lift herself up her eyes opening slowly shocked at the scene in front of her. To the right of her were Dex and Vivian, relief enveloping their faces as they smiled gently, Vivian's eyes puffy from crying. To Jane's left was the ape man, his face gentle and calm as he gazed in to her eyes, his lips forming a smile as he spoke, "Jane," He said softly.

"Oh Jane! Thank god you are alright!" Vivian said giving her a hug.

Jane quickly returned her gazed on Tarzan, seeing the confusion in his eyes.

"Ooh-" Jane spoke softly before clutching her stomach. Tarzan leaned over worry filling his eyes as he was incapable of knowing how to help her. Jane gazed at Tarzan, smiling sweetly at him and then Tarzan wrapped his arm gently behind Jane and lifted her to her feet. Dex and Vivian followed.

Vivian walked over to the pilled of clothing they created and handed Jane her clothes. With some difficultly Jane managed to put her shirt and shorts on, almost out of breath.

"Jane maybe you should relax a bit more," Dex said trying to get Jane back on the ground. Tarzan growled at Dex, Jane shocked at the sound he made. She placed her hand on Tarzan's chest. Tarzan immediately changed his demeanor, looking at Jane perplexed.

"It's okay. They are my friends. That is Dex. Dex," She pointed to Dex. "And that is Vivian. Vi-vi-an," Jane pointed to Vivian. Tarzan stared at the two of them trying to figure out what Jane meant. "Friends. They are friends," She spoke softly, calming Tarzan.

"Jane. Friends," Tarzan repeated, not understanding but he kept repeating. "Friends."

"Yes! Friends!" Jane said with enthusiasm.

"Wow. He mimics the words so well," Vivian said as she marveled at the sight of the ape man, his soaked tan brown skin glowing in the sunlight, his dreads hanging down his incredibly angular jaw, and a rather small strip of cloth covering his front and backside. Vivian could not keep her eyes off his chest, droplets of water rolling down his rippling abs and his bulging thigh muscles.

Dex glared at Vivian clearing his throat, snapping her out of her self-induced trance.

"So this is the ape man who rescued you from being devoured by that giant cat," Dex spoke analyzing his posture. "He has an intriguing posture, almost ape-like."

"Well I think he was raised by the gorillas. He even walks on his knuckles," Jane spoke, gesturing to his knuckles, losing her balance and falling on the ground. Tarzan swiftly joined her, a look of concern in his eyes as he titled his head to gaze at Jane.

"Jane," Tarzan spoke softly.

"So he knows your name. He-he recognizes that as your name," Dex spoke astonished.

"Yeah. He does and I think he told me his name, but I really can't know for sure." Jane pondered looking at Tarzan.

"What was it?" Dex asked kneeling down across from Jane.

"Ooh ooh," Jane said softly as Tarzan grinned ecstatically.

"Jane! Uuh uuh! Friends!" He pointed at Dex and Vivian and Jane giggled.

"Yes, friends," Jane smiled at the happy ape man.

"Wow that is awesome!" Vivian spoke loudly, Tarzan startled by the volume of her voice.

"Um, what uh, what happened exactly?" Jane asked confused.

"We don't really know for sure. You saw something in the water and the next moment you were dragged under and he dove in and got you out," Dex said.

"He rescued me? Again?" Jane looked at Tarzan and in one swift motion wrapped her arms around Tarzan, Tarzan shocked and confused by the gesture he simply stared at Jane. His hands were at his side, clutching at the dirt beneath them. She released her grip from him and smiled, staring at the ape man. "Thank you."

Jane could not believe it.

_Again, he rescued me. Why? _

"Jane, Jane!" Dex said waving his hand near her face. Jane snapped out of her thoughts, looking at Dex.

"What are we going to do? Obviously this place is definitely not safe and I doubt we can take him anywhere near the safe radius. If one of the team members stumbles upon us and an almost naked man, there will positively be conflict."

Jane knew Dex was right. It is bad enough that there is a man eating cat somewhere nearby but now the water is not even safe. Jane glanced at Tarzan, her thoughts cut short but a rustling in the bushes.

"Crap! We gotta go!" Dex whispered, gathering up their things and running in to the jungle, Vivian behind him. Jane sprung to her feet, stumbling backwards; Tarzan spread his arm out catching her. Jane looked behind her and heard the sound of people talking. She stabilized herself and took Tarzan by the arm and pulled him in the direction Dex ran, disappearing through the shrubbery.

They did not look back. They were all too afraid of who it might be or the fact that they may be caught. 15 minutes of running and Dex stopped near an enormous moss covered tree surrounded by giant protruding roots. He threw all the backpacks on to the ground and collapsed on one of the roots, breathing heavily.

"That was way too close," He spoke in between breaths. "Another minute and we would have been seen."

"Yeah, but who would be out that far from the radius? I mean I doubt the other students would be as crazy as us right?" Vivian was confused and exhausted, resting on the ground near Dex. Jane tried to catch her breath, Tarzan squatting next to her.

"I-I don't know but we need to be more careful," Dex turned his attention towards Tarzan, "And what do we do about Mr. Ape Man? He doesn't even understand anything. What if this happens again?"

Jane knew Dex had a point. If they were going to have these encounters with Tarzan, they needed to be more careful. Dex and Vivian just met the ape man and already they fear this situation will not turn out so well.

_He knows the jungle so well but he can't understand us. _

_He could show us so much wonder but he doesn't speak our language._

"That's it!" Jane exclaimed, a look of determination in her eyes. "I will teach him English."

"What? Do you know how long it will take you to teach him English? We don't have that kind of time!" Dex spoke with uncertainty.

"I think he is a quick learner," Jane smirked at Tarzan. Tarzan just sat there, knuckles against the grass, confusion spread across his face. "It'll be fun! Maybe this way I can actually call him something other than Ooh ooh." Jane rustled through her bag, digging her journal and a pen out. She flipped it open to a clean page and smiled eagerly at Tarzan.

"Let's begin with the alphabet."

* * *

Boots and a machete ripped through the shrubbery around them, swiftly cutting down and stomping on anything it their path. Hearing the sound of water flowing, they rushed towards that direction.

Passing through the shrubbery, two men swung their arms through, annoyance on their faces as they cleared the dense path.

"I cannot wait to leave this god forsaken place. I just want to burn it all to the ground."

"Come now Mr. Clayton, it is not so bad here. The beauty outweighs the inconveniences," Jack O'Riley said gazing at the trees and the leaves dancing in the warm African wind.

"The only thing that will outweigh the "inconveniences" Mr. O'Riley is the money," Clayton spoke as a wicked smiled surfaced across his face.

"Well that will have to wait. We have not found the location yet to start digging."

"When in the hell will the team give us the bloody coordinates? I have been stalling for as long as I can but that Ndiaye will start to get suspicious. We need answers NOW!" Clayton's voice echoed through the open area, birds flying away from the resting places on the branches. "Bloody filthy beasts!"

"Mr. Clayton!" O'Riley spoke sternly. "You will get those coordinates as soon as they find the location. For now we just have to make sure we steer them as far from any potential locations as possible. Understood?"

"Are you- are you giving ME orders?" Clayton's face began to burn red, his teeth grinding as his nostrils flared.

"As long as it is MY men out there, you will follow MY instructions," O'Riley glared at Clayton, not breaking contact for a moment.

Clayton puffed air out of his nostrils in fury and turned his back on the man. He did not say another word but it was clear between them both Clayton understood. He stormed off further in one direction towards more shrubbery swinging his blade vigorously, releasing his anger in each swing, O'Riley following.


End file.
